A Hope in the Darkness
by ladihawk
Summary: Set in the future, former Team Rocket members Jessie and James have been separated for a number of years. Jessie went through a living hell, and James worked to make a life for himself. Now that the two have been reunited, can they create a new life together? What obstacles must they endure together, and how will they overcome them? Read on!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes and Disclaimer**

 **This is my first formal fanfiction. I've written many chicken scratch stories in the past, and I will fully admit, I am a diehard rocketshipper, and have been for probably 15+ years now. I'm an adult Pokemon nerd, not going to lie. This story might seem a little dark at times, but I promise it will end well. ;) You'll just have to wait and see how it gets there. It's set in the future, past all the shows thus far. Jessie might seem a little out of character, but considering the story line, you'll understand why once you begin reading. There are mature themes in this story, I suggest you keep that in mind before reading. All the other characters from the show that appear should be relatively close to their original characters, however they will obviously be older and more mature. The other random characters were pulled from my mind, all resemblances are completely unintentional. The last names of Jessie and James are ones that I have seen used around here in other stories.**

 **Also, a note, I have not written in a LONG time. Since high school, so over 10 years. Please forgive any major grammatical errors such as sentence fluency or punctuation. I did try to proofread this as best as I can, but I don't have anyone available to help me with any extra proofreading.**

 **Disclaimer: Pokemon and all included characters do not belong to me. Just for the sake of technicality.**

 **Chapter 1**

It was over. That was all she could think about as she laid in the back of the ambulance as it drove toward the hospital. Despite the pain she was in, the reassurance of the emergency medical technicians nearby made her breathe a little easier. Her pain was more-so emotional than physical, but she did have some gashes and bruises that needed to be looked at, as well as a possible broken wrist. Her waist length faded red hair was a tangled mess behind her, a strong contrast against the starch white hospital blankets. She sighed, and one of the technicians asked her if she was alright. She nodded, and closed her eyes in an attempt to quell the increasing nausea and nervousness she felt.

They arrived at the Kanto Region General Hospital shortly after, and she was transported to a room. A nurse came in, a grey haired older woman, with a kind and gentle face.

"My name is Linnea, I will be your nurse today. The current on call Doctor is Eric Darnbrough and he will be in shortly to assist with an exam. Can you tell us your name, dear?" She asked.

"Yes. My name is Jessica Tonaka, " the girl with red hair responded.

"Thank you Jessica. We will need your birth date as well as any other relevant information. Do you feel well enough to fill out a few admission papers? There is a police officer on her way to speak with you. We need you to provide a statement on what happened," Linnea explained gently. While Linnea didn't have any idea what this young girl in the hospital gurney before her had endured, she knew it couldn't have been anything good. Jessie's hair was a dismal, matted mess, and her clothes were very old and worn. Her eyes were dull, and her face showed how thin and pale she was, with light bruising on her right cheek. The bruises on her wrists coupled with some deep gashes hinted that she had been kept either handcuffed or chained to something, and given the depth of the gashes, it had been that way for a while. The bruises were a deep purplish blue color with yellowing on the outside, and the right wrist looked swollen. Linnea's heart ached for the poor girl. Jessie had scribbled down the information on the paperwork she had been given, and Linnea spoke again. "Now, I am going to insert an IV line into your arm so that we can get some fluids into you, you look dehydrated. It will also help if we need to administer any other medications. I'm guessing the police officer will want your blood drawn as well to get a full health background on you."

Jessie grimaced, she was never one to like hospitals, and especially not needles. But she turned her head to look the other way and let Linnea do her work. There was a small pinch, and before she knew it, the IV was in and done with. She sighed a small sigh of relief. She was certainly tired of any type of pain, that was for sure. She had a feeling she'd have to explain her last 6 years to the officer, and that was something she wasn't looking forward to either. Her emotions were all over the place, from angry, to sad, to embarrassed, and even to feeling guilty. Sometimes she felt like it was her fault that she had been in the situation she was in, but deep in her heart, she knew it wasn't. She tried to pull up some good memories from her past, but the only thing she could think of was her good Team Rocket days, back when times were good, or as good as they could be. The faces of James and Meowth flashed into her memory, and she tried to suppress a tear, but it slid out and rolled down her cheek.

Linnea saw the tear and patted her on the arm, "I don't have any idea what happened to you, dear, but it's all okay now. I promise. You're safe here."

At that moment, a Kanto Police Officer stepped into the room, a young woman with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She came over to Linnea, pulled her aside and whispered something into her ear, and Linnea excused herself from the room. The officer then came over to Jessie's bedside and smiled gently. "Hi, my name is Lieutenant Johnson. I'm here to take a statement from you. The Kanto Police Force successfully completed a total shutdown of Team Rocket today, as you may already know. Giovanni and his Elite Leaders have all been taken into custody and the Police Force has control of the base, as well as the bases that were located in other regions such as Hoenn and Sinnoh. You were found in the main headquarters in Viridian City, held captive in the Elite Base, is that correct, Miss Tonaka?"

Jessie nodded, biting her lip. She knew she didn't want to talk about any of this, but she knew she had to. Lieutenant Johnson continued, "Can you tell me what happened to you, and why you were a captive? Any bit of information you can give us will help us when we go to prosecute in court. I know it will be hard to talk about, but it's very important."

Jessie nodded again and glanced out the window. She began speaking, quietly but firmly.

"As you probably know, my name is Jessica Tonaka. I was once a Team Rocket agent myself. My partners and I weren't a very successful team, although Mew knows we certainly tried. We had been a part of the team for a number of years, and one day, Giovanni called us into his office. He told us that he wasn't pleased with our work any longer, and that our employment as Team Rocket Field Agents had been terminated. He then proceeded to explain that since we knew too much, my partner James was to be sent to a Team Rocket Facility in Unova, where he would be assigned to various tasks with meager pay. Meowth was to be taken to a remote island and released to fend for himself. Before Giovanni could tell us what I was going to be subjected to, James and Meowth were forced out of the room. I never saw them again." Another tear slid down her cheek, but she quickly reached up to wipe it away and attempted to regain her composure.

"Giovanni then informed me that I was to become an assistant to the one of the 5 Elite Leaders that served beneath Giovanni. The Elite Leaders were the leaders of the main bases in each of the various regions. I was to stay here in Viridian, beneath the Elite Leader, Viper. He was one of the recruit trainers as well. I knew him vaguely from my training days at that point. I had no idea what Giovanni had meant when he said assistant. I had gone into it thinking that I'd be assisting Viper with daily business tasks, and was quickly proved wrong." She tensed up at this point, and Lieutenant Johnson sensed her apprehensiveness.

"Jessica, I need you to continue. I know it isn't easy, I really do. But the more information you give me today could help make or break the case when it goes to court. Please continue. After this, no one will ask you to speak about it again. If you choose, you can sign a form today that will allow me to represent you during the court session so that you do not have to be present. Go on…" the Lieutenant said, as she reached over to touch Jessie's shoulder gently in reassurance. Jessie flinched at the contact, and quickly muttered an apology.

"Viper was not a nice man. Each of the Elite members had a special apartment at headquarters. I was instructed to clean, do his laundry, cook…" she shuddered a bit as she continued, "and to satisfy him physically if he desired it. I was not allowed to leave the apartment. These bruises and gashes on my wrists were from containment devices, they were small bracelet like devices that acted like a shock collar, essentially. If I tried to leave, they'd shock me and tighten up. Viper carried the control device in his pocket at all times. I had tried to escape a few times in the first few years that I was there, but it just ended in pain and misery for me. He would hit me and throw me around if I disobeyed his requests and lock me in the hallway closet if I angered him enough. I slept in a small room with a couple of blankets and an old pillow, nothing else. He barely allowed me to eat. I can't even think of the last time I've had a real meal."

"He forced me to please him sexually quite often, whichever way he desired it. He would force himself onto me, usually in a drug or alcohol induced stupor. It seemed he would come back to his apartment at the end of the day and drink or shoot himself up, and then he'd come after me. I can't even count the times I was raped or forced to please him. At one point, I gave up fighting it. I endured this for 6 years. I can't even begin to tell you how glad I am to be out of there." Jessie bit back the tears and looked away. "That's all. There really isn't any more to it. The days were just another checkmark on the calendar. They blurred together and seemed like an eternity." She stopped and shrugged at the officer.

"Thank you Jessica. I think that's more than enough information to put at least Viper away for a very long time. I appreciate you telling me everything, even though it wasn't easy. I am going to submit your file to our major crimes department and have them look over it. If they have any questions, they will contact you directly. They will be the only ones who would need any further information from you regarding this situation. The only other thing we need is a full exam by the on staff doctor today to include with your file to document your injuries sustained by your treatment and abuse. I believe Linnea said the Doctor should be around to see you very soon. In the meantime, please rest. You are safe here and in very good hands." With that, Lieutenant Johnson left the room.

A few minutes passed, and Jessie sat in silence on the bed. She honestly didn't even know what to think. The last six years of her life had been a true living hell, and it was weird to suddenly be out of it. Now the uncertainty of the future hovered over her; where would she go and what would she do? She had no family or even any friends. She wasn't even sure that she could start over anywhere. Her silent reverie was interrupted by a knock on the door. Linnea stepped in and alongside her was a middle aged man with brown hair, and Jessie could only assume was the doctor Linnea had mentioned earlier.

"Jessica, this is Dr. Darnbrough. He is here to complete your exam so we can send your file off to the Kanto Police Station for review. It won't take long, we just need to do a regular physical. After that, I'd like you to rest. We don't have a reason to keep you here in the hospital, so we will be arranging for your discharge. Is there anywhere you can go?" Linnea said.

Jessie shook her head. "No, I don't have any family and I don't have anywhere I can go." Her voice faltered, the fear still lingering in her heart and mind was apparent to the doctor and the nurse.

"Alright, we have a recovery facility down the road, perhaps I can look into booking you a room there for a few days. There are some social workers there that can help you find housing." Linnea responded kindly. "For now, let's get this exam over with."

The exam didn't take long, Dr. Darnbrough documented all of the injuries Jessie had sustained in the recent months and made note of any past scars. He also noted in her file that there had been signs of multiple types of abuse. He recommended that she see a therapist to help her adjust back to reality. Jessie just nodded. She was exhausted. Shortly after Linnea had given her some pain medication for her wrist, which luckily was not broken, just very sore, Jessie fell into a dream ridden sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

It had been quite the hectic day for the Kanto Police Force. Hectic, but very, very successful. They had succeeded in taking down the largest criminal base in the history of the world. Team Rocket was no more. A handsome lavender haired Officer was just finishing up his written record for the day; each officer had to write a report on the day's events any time something major like this occurred. He worked for the major crimes unit, in which they kept very thorough and complete records of every crime or criminal takedown. When completed, he quickly filed it away and began gathering his personal belongings, preparing to head home for the evening. He chucked inwardly a little, considering he used to work for that horrendous organization. Sometimes he wondered what would have happened if he hadn't gotten away. He escaped from the base in Unova and fled back to Kanto approximately 4 years ago and had somehow managed to land a job as an officer in the Kanto Police Force Major Crimes Unit.

A knock at his office door broke his thoughts.

He rose from his seat and opened it. His boss, Lieutenant Kadie Johnson was outside with a small stack of folders in her hands. "Officer Morgan, here are the files on the captives that Giovanni had in his possession. We have full statements and medical exam reports on all three. Could you please review the files and see to it that the evidence presented here will be enough to convict those named in court? You're the best in the business, if anyone can do it, you can. If you can get them back to me by tomorrow afternoon, I'd appreciate it. I know that's asking a lot considering it looks like you are just about to leave, but it's important." She smiled and then left the office.

James Morgan sighed and sat back down at his desk. At least overtime pay was good. He'd already put in 12 hours today alone, and would likely put in more by the time he finished reviewing these files. He went over the first file, vaguely recognizing the name of the person, a young man who likely failed training and ended up as one of Giovanni's puppets. Everything he saw was enough to prosecute for unlawful detainment and kidnapping. He didn't think any further information was needed. He set that file aside and picked up the next. He opened the cover of the manila folder and almost dropped it when he read the name at the inside left cover.

Jessica Tonaka.

He did a double take, not believing what he was reading. For the past 6 years, he had thought she was dead. He had checked every phone book, every public listing across the regions in hopes of finding her name, to no avail. He figured Giovanni had killed her, or sent her to her death somewhere. He couldn't believe he was reading her name at the top of the file. His eyes drifted to the profile on the right. It was definitely her. Faded waist length red hair. Emerald green eyes. That was definitely Jessie. He kept reading through the file, the expression on his face going from joy, to anger. Bruises and gashes. Physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Injured wrist. Unlawful detainment and kidnapping. Fury began building in his mind. This was his best friend for almost half his life, and he couldn't even fathom someone treating her this way. He read over her statement, and his insides turned at what she had endured. James remembered Viper from his training days, if he had known then…..

He shook off those thoughts, and realized that he needed to let his boss know that he couldn't work on this case due to a conflict of interest. Even though he would love to be the one to get the book thrown at Giovanni and his gang of Elites, if anyone found out his ties to Jessie, it wouldn't stand in court. James rose, took the file and walked toward Lieutenant Johnson's office. Luckily, she was still there when he knocked.

"Officer Morgan, can I help you?" She asked.

He nodded, and explained his situation. She gaped, and realized that this was the girl he occasionally talked about. His long lost friend that he was still searching for, in hopes that she was alive.

"I understand, Officer. I will reassign the case to someone else, that isn't a problem. Would you like to take some of your leave time that you have accrued over the years? I think you have a few weeks worth, seems like you've never taken any of your vacations. I can check the exact time you have tomorrow. It would all be paid leave. I was the one who interviewed Miss Tonaka this afternoon and took her statement. She was a bit reluctant to explain her situation, but she did when I told her it could be the difference between Giovanni and his gang going to jail or not. She's scared and confused, I'm sure she could use a friend. One of her concerns expressed to the hospital staff was that she didn't have any friends or family to help her, and she had nowhere to go. From my understanding, the nurse was attempting to get her a temporary room at the Kanto General Recovery Center while she figured things out. Now it all makes sense. She mentioned her partner, James. I'm not sure why I didn't connect it in my head until now. I knew you used to be a Team Rocket Agent…which has proven to be quite valuable on this takedown, I might add, so thank you…but I never connected the dots until just now. Go be with her, Officer Morgan. I will take care of things here and call you tomorrow with leave information. For now, don't worry about anything."

James thanked her profusely for her kindness and understanding, and went back to his office to collect his things. He quickly called Kanto General and asked for a room number for Jessie Tonaka. The operator informed him that she had just been transferred to the Recovery Center and was about to be transported there now. She also informed him that visiting hours at the center were 9am to 7pm. It was 7:18pm. He thanked her for her help and hung up. First thing tomorrow morning, he would go visit. He drove home from the police station, his mind full of thoughts and his heart full of emotions. He didn't know what to think.

Would she remember him? Would she even want to see him? Perhaps she blamed him for all of this mess they were in? He hoped not, though. She may have had a fiery temper, but he knew deep down inside, she was just a broken woman. And now he feared that she had been broken all the way. Her life had never been easy, this was the last thing she needed. He hoped with all his heart that he could help provide her with some comfort and stability for once in her life, if she would allow him to do so. He knew that the night would be filled with restless thoughts. When he arrived home, he showered and went to bed. Sleep eluded him at first, with thoughts of the past, both good and bad. Eventually, sleep crept up on him and he drifted into a dreamless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Jessie had received her orders to be transferred to the Kanto Recovery Center that evening, after she had been taken into the hospital. The nurse had been surprised and pleased that a room in the center was available, apparently it was usually quite tough to get in. Jessie sighed in relief, she had been afraid of what she would have done if she was discharged with nowhere to go. Her ride over to the center was uneventful, and they checked her in quickly. The room was very plain, but much better than a hospital room. It included a bed, comfortable chair and a small table, with an adjoining bathroom. Her meals would be brought 3 times a day, and she was allowed to visit the common rooms during free hours. Doctor Darnbrough had sent over a referral to see a therapist, and she was scheduled to speak with one once a day for the next few weeks for a short time. Jessie was never one to open up to people, so she was not looking forward to seeing one. She just didn't trust people, with good reason however. Her life had been nothing but a crazy mess, ever since she was a little girl. The only good times she had were with James and Meowth.

Thinking of them brought fresh tears to her eyes, and this time she couldn't hold them back. She sat on her bed and cried for a while. She almost didn't know what to do now that she was free of her captors. Eventually she figured it was best to just go to sleep and put the day behind her. Perhaps tomorrow would be better, she hoped. Maybe she could even make a friend here.

As she began to fall asleep, she realized how much the past 6 years had changed her as a person. She was timid and shy, and very quiet. Rarely did she speak anymore; with Viper, it usually meant trouble, so it was best for her to just keep quiet. She was no longer fiery and hot headed, ultimately, she was a shell of the person she used to be. She wondered whether this would be good or bad for her. All she knew was that she'd rather die than go through anything like that ever again. When her mind finally slept, her last thought was, "I can get through this, somehow."

Morning eventually came, and Jessie awoke to the sound of birds outside her window. At first, she was confused as to where she was, and a moment of intense fear flooded over her. Where was she, and where was Viper? What had she done and what would he do to her when he found out? It was then that the memory of the prior day flooded back to her, and she remembered the police agents breaking down the doors to Viper's apartment, finding her bound and gagged on the floor of Viper's personal bedroom. From there, she remembered being transported to the hospital, and then arriving where she was now, the recovery center. Relief settled over her, although there was still some level of fear and concern hovering in her mind. She couldn't shake it, no matter how hard she tried.

There was a quick rap at her door and a Pokemon, a Chansey, opened it, it's other hand containing a tray with what she could only guess was her breakfast. She glanced at the small clock up on the wall, it said 8:06am. The nurse for the floor her room was on had told her last night that breakfast would be served between 7:30-8:30 each morning. She smiled a little and thanked Chansey for the tray, and as quickly as it had came, Chansey was gone. Jessie looked at the tray; there was a stack of freshly made pancakes and a small container of syrup, a bowl of fresh fruits, a few slices of bacon, and a large glass of orange juice. She hadn't seen this much food in ages. Food like this had only been for Viper or his friends. She almost couldn't believe it was for her.

She ate a bit of the fruit and drank some juice, and there was another knock on her door. The floor nurse came in with her pain medication, and told Jessie that she was welcome to go down to the common room and visit with some of the others that were in the center. This floor was for young people recovering from surgeries or accidents, she was told. Jessie politely declined and said perhaps this afternoon she would go down there. The nurse also brought her some clean scrubs. "I figured you could use these, I asked the hospital last night if you had any clothes with you when you came in and they said that you didn't. Perhaps you and I could take a trip out to the store in the next few days and get you a few things. I hope these scrubs will work for now, I know they're nothing fancy but they're better than a hospital gown."

Jessie smiled and thanked the nurse. "I appreciate it, thank you."

"You're welcome. If you need anything, I'm just down the hall in room 101. It's marked Floor Nurse, you can't miss it." With that, she smiled and headed out.

Jessie stood and walked over to her bathroom, and noticed that there was a small shower. Oh, how good it would feel to wash her hair and clean up. She showered quickly and put on the scrubs the nurse had brought her. They were a bit big, but the nurse was right, they were definitely better than a hospital gown. She ran her fingers through her damp hair, and wished she had a clip or a ponytail ring to braid it into. Her hair was so limp and damaged that it almost pained her to think that she should probably cut it and let new hair grow. The nurse had also brought her a couple of recent magazines, so she picked one up and began flipping through it. Things had changed so much in the past few years, she thought, and got sucked in to reading a few of the various articles.

James arrived at the recovery center a little after 9am. He wouldn't deny that he was nervous, he was clearly shaking when he walked into the lobby. The woman at the desk smiled at him, sensing his nervousness. "Are you alright, sir? Can I help you?" she asked.

He smiled and responded, "Yes, I'm fine, thank you, just a bit nervous. I'm here to see someone I haven't seen in a very long time. Could you tell me where Jessica Tonaka's room is, or where I could meet with her?"

The receptionist looked up Jessie's name in the computer. "Yes, she is on the first floor. I am going to page her nurse and have her come down to speak with you before you go to visit Miss Tonaka. She was brought here late last night, and has a few restrictions on her file. All visitors must submit to a background check and be approved by a nurse. Any meetings will need to be in a public room, for her safety. I hope you understand, Sir."

"I understand. My name is James Morgan, I'm an officer with the Kanto Police Major Crimes Unit. I'm also a long time friend of Miss Tonaka, although I have not seen her for many years. I'm happy to do whatever I need to do so that I am able to visit with her." James said, fidgeting. He was never good at staying calm when he was nervous.

The nurse came down rather quickly, and introduced herself to James. "Hi, my name is Melanie, the floor nurse on Jessica's floor. I haven't had much opportunity to meet with her yet, although I did drop off a few things for her this morning. She seems very sweet, poor girl to have gone through such a horrible thing. Anyhow, please follow me, there is a meeting room upstairs that I will have her join us in after we've gone through a few things. I'd like to fill you in a bit on her treatment plan. What was your name again?"

"James Morgan, I'm an officer with the Kanto Major Crimes Unit, and also a friend of Jessica's from the past. I'm hoping she will remember me. I was to be in charge of the prosecution in the trial of the Team Rocket agents responsible for her kidnapping and abuse, but stepped down due to conflict of interest. My boss granted me some time off to help her since she doesn't have any family or other friends. I'm sure she thinks that I died after we were separated. It's a long story, but I'm happy to explain it if need be." James responded, as they took the elevator up to the first floor. He continued a bit further and explained how they were separated after Giovanni dismissed them as field agents, and also explained how his inside experience with Team Rocket helped aid the Kanto Police Force in the total takedown of Team Rocket that occurred yesterday. Melanie mentioned how she had seen all the news reports, and said she was quite pleased that the organization was finally taken care of. They arrived at the meeting room, which had a large bay window overlooking a lake just outside Viridian City. It was quite a beautiful view, he thought to himself.

"Mr. Morgan, Jessica has suffered a numerous amount of minor injuries, none are serious but they will take time to heal. You may have seen the exam file in her folder, did you not?" Melanie said, sitting down in an oversized chair next to a coffee table and large couch.

"Yes, I saw the exam report and read it over," he replied, and took a seat on the couch.

Melanie continued, "That said, she will require a decent amount of recovery time. The bruising is extensive on her wrists, and one has some severe muscle straining. Luckily no fractures or breaks, but she will need to be icing it and keeping the usage minimal at first. I believe the doctor wanted to see her back in a week or two to determine if she will need physical therapy or not. He also recommended that she see a therapist once a day for a few weeks to help her navigate her feelings over the next few weeks, as it will likely be an emotional rollercoaster for her. I believe she has the room here for up to two weeks. After that, she will be responsible to find housing. Are you able to help her find adequate housing and perhaps a source of income?"

"I will help her with whatever I can. She is more than welcome to stay in my guest room until she finds a place to live, and I can help her job search. I have at least a few weeks of leave, and my Lieutenant is supposed to contact me with the exact length of time I have later today. After hearing the story, she was insistent that I help Jessie, and of course I want to do anything I'm able to. She would have done the same for me if the situation was reversed, I'm sure." James responded.

"Well, we can discuss that with her in a few minutes. Let me go speak with her and let her know that she has a visitor. I'll bring her here as soon as we are done talking. I'll be right back." With that, Melanie left the room, leaving James to his nervousness. He was excited to finally Jessie again, but he wished that it was under much different circumstances.

There was yet another knock at Jessie's door, startling her out of her magazine story. Something about how scientists had learned how to harness the power of psychic Pokemon to alter reality….

Melanie stepped into the room and smiled at Jessie. "There is someone here to see you, Miss Tonaka. Considering your situation, there have been restrictions put on your visitations, and anyone requesting to see you has to pass a background check and to meet with me first. Your visitor has cleared both, he is an officer with the Kanto Major Crimes Unit."

Jessie looked at Melanie with a hint of fear in her eyes. "Ok. As long as it's safe." She stood, ready to follow Melanie.

"Follow me, we will be in the meeting room just down the hallway," Melanie said, as she began walking out of the room. Jessie followed quickly behind her, wondering who in the world would possibly want to meet with her. Perhaps it was just an officer wanting to ask more questions about her ordeal. She inwardly sighed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

When they arrived at the meeting room, Melanie stopped and turned to look at Jessie. "I should also mention, I've been told you know this person quite well. I know you said that you don't have any friends or family that you know of, so I hope this is a good thing for you." With that, she opened the door and gestured for Jessie to go in.

Jessie timidly walked through the door, eyes on the floor. Her nervousness was overwhelming; she never used to be this way. She was always the strong one, first to burst through the door or the first to speak. After she had taken a few steps, she lifted her head to take in the surroundings. Her eyes went from the bay window to the couch, and when she saw him, she gasped a bit and her hand quickly flew up to her mouth in surprise.

"J…James….is it really you?" She stammered, truly shocked at the sight before her. "Giovanni and Viper told me you were dead…you and Meowth both."

James smiled and responded, "Well, if I were dead, I'd say that I'm a pretty good looking ghost, don't you think?"

Jessie laughed lightly for the first time since she was rescued. That was the James she remembered, always full of himself and the first to crack a joke. "Yes, you make a pretty good looking ghost. A sight for very sore eyes, that's for sure." She hesitated, not knowing what to do. Even seeing James again felt strange to her, like something was off. Even though her heart was suddenly full of a strange sense of calm, the damage Viper had caused in her heart and her mind plagued her consciousness. It was hard for her to put trust in anyone, and she was almost afraid that this could be some sort of cruel joke set up by Giovanni and his gang.

Melanie rested her hand on Jessie's shoulder. "Sit, dear. I think you two have some catching up to do. Officer Morgan was assigned to your case, and recognized you from your file. He requested to be removed from the case due to conflict of interest. Rest assured, his fellow officers will be working hard to put together a strong case to throw the book at those awful people. They will likely go to jail for a very long time thanks to the hard work of the Kanto Branch. So, needless to say, he has been filled in on your story. I will leave you two so that you can have some privacy. If you need anything, dial #101 on the phone on the table over there against the wall, it is a direct line to my room." She smiled again and left the room.

Jessie sat down on the couch opposite the one James was seated on and looked over at him. She didn't know what to say. James spoke first.

"Jessie, I'm so sorry. I am sure you don't want to talk about anything, and you don't have to. Just know that I will do anything I can to help you. I'm sure you're wondering what happened to me, so I'll start by telling you my story." He smiled at her and continued on.

"After Giovanni sent me to Unova, I worked there essentially as a grunt for 2 years, doing all sorts of awful odd jobs. Somehow I managed to escape, and stowed away on a boat back here to Kanto. To make a long story very short, my Nanny and Pop-pop passed away within 8 months of each other 5 years ago. They left their money and their estate to me, no questions asked, unlike my parents. When I arrived back in Kanto, I went back to my parents' estate, not knowing what to do. They of course berated me as always, and tried to convince me to marry Jessebelle. I declined, and told them I didn't want their money. It was then they had told me about Nanny and Pop-pop's passing, and that they had sent me a letter. That letter held instructions on where I would find their will, with further information on how to claim their estate. I did as instructed, and I ended up selling the property, and bought a small house here in Viridian. I worked hard as a janitor for the Police Station, and eventually moved my way up to an officer."

He paused, looking over at Jessie. She nodded lightly, showing that she was following his story.

"I hear you spoke with Lieutenant Johnson yesterday. She is my boss. I used to clean her office once a week, and we had talked at one point about my Team Rocket days. Eventually, she called me into her office and offered me a position in the Major Crimes unit, saying that she had observed my behavior for a while and believed that she could trust me, and that my inside knowledge about Team Rocket could help bring them down. And that's what I've been working at ever since. We finally succeeded yesterday, as you know. I wish it could have happened much sooner. The next step is court appearances for all of the accused, and hopefully with all the information we have gathered from their illegal operations, we should be able to put most of them away for a very long time, as Melanie said earlier."

After he finished his story, he looked out the window at the lake, and spoke again. "You have no idea how glad I am to know that you're safe now. It infuriates me beyond all belief how you were treated. Jessie, if there is anything I can do to help you, please let me know. Melanie told me that you have a 2 week time period to stay here. I am happy to let you use the guest room in my house until you can find your own housing, for however long you need. I'm also more than willing to give you some money to start out with. I know you would help me if the situation was reversed."

"Thank you James. I appreciate it." Jessie replied meekly. She wanted so badly to trust James and to go with him, she hated hospitals and she certainly hated the idea of being in a recovery center for two weeks. But she just wasn't sure. This was just too good to be true…there was no way fate could be this kind to her. She sighed and put her head in her hands, her mind was spinning. Dare she take a leap of faith, or should she just play it safe and stay here? "I think it might be best for me to stay here for a few more days, I am supposed to see a therapist once a day. I'm not quite sure I'm ready to do much more than that. I'm sorry. I'd like it if you could come visit me, though, if you're willing. It's very good to see a familiar face. You were…..are….my best friend, you know." She quickly corrected her past tense reference, it made her feel better to say that she had a friend. It was a source of grounding for her after her whole life had been tossed around like it was nothing the past 6 years. She desired stability more than anything in the world right now, and here was her opportunity, but she wanted to take it slow at first.

James nodded, understanding her apprehensiveness. From what he had read in her file, he assumed that it would be a long time before she could trust anyone again, especially a man, regardless of how close they were in the past. They had never been romantically involved, but there was always something special between them. The bond they shared was something that not many people had with another. He smiled as he remembered some of their best times together. "I completely understand, Jessie. I'd be happy to come visit you. My boss has granted me paid leave, at least a few weeks worth, so I will have plenty of time."

For a while, they just sat in silence, enjoying the other's company. It was a calmness Jessie hadn't felt in years, and the surge of relief that James felt was undeniable. Eventually, James spoke again. "Well, I should probably call Melanie back and let you get back to your room. How about I come by tomorrow morning for another visit? I think today I will do some shopping and get you some clothes, as good as you look in scrubs, I'm sure you'd probably appreciate some real clothing. Melanie mentioned that you didn't have anything when you came to the hospital."

"Yes, thank you James. I'd be very grateful for some real clothes, you're right." Jessie responded, a bit embarrassed that she had no possessions.

"Don't even worry about it at all, Jess."

Melanie came back into the meeting room, and the three of them walked back to Jessie's room together. James took one of Jessie's hands and squeezed it when they got to her door. "Things will get better, I promise. If you need anything, call me. Here's my number." He handed her a piece of paper with his cell phone number scribbled on it. "I will see you tomorrow morning." With that, he smiled and left the room. Melanie gave Jessie a hug, told her when her therapy appointment would be and then she too left the room.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the delay on getting this up, I had intended upon having it posted yesterday and ended up with a massive migraine, limiting my ability to look at a computer screen. So...here it is. I'm hoping this doesn't seem like it's moving too fast, sometimes I have trouble reigning in all my different thoughts and they tend to get jumbled and race along. I have a few ideas as to where the story line will go next, but I'm also not quite sure, so bear with me. I hope it's enjoyable so far. I'd love to hear any thoughts, so reviews are greatly appreciated. :)**

 **Chapter 5**

The next week was uneventful, and the days passed rather slowly at times for Jessie. Her therapy appointments were going well, although at first she had trouble opening up. More often than not, she found herself in tears, but the therapist assured her that it was completely normal to feel this way after a traumatic experience. After each session, even though it was hard to talk to someone about everything, she felt a small sense of relief wash over her.

Her morning meetings with James were the highlight of her day. They would meet in the garden in the center of the recovery center, which was full of beautiful flowers, trees and the occasional Pokemon. It was relaxing and comforting for Jessie. They would talk, share memories, and laugh. She knew it would be a long time before she could find a new "normal", but it was nice to know that James was there to help her get through the hard part of starting over. He had brought her a variety of new clothes; he had always been good at shopping for her, considering his old crossdressing habits. He assured her those days were in the past now. Every time he came to visit her, he was well dressed, usually in clean jeans and an ironed button up or polo shirt. He usually had his hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, something she had always liked back in their Team Rocket agent days. He rarely did it back then, but when he did, she secretly enjoyed it. It made him look…sophisticated, she always thought.

Jessie was feeling much more relaxed now, especially around James. They were walking around the garden exactly one week after she had arrived at the recovery center. She looked over at him and spoke.

"Things have been going pretty well with my therapy appointments. It's surprising, knowing how I used to be. I never would have been able to open up like this and talk to someone. It's funny how things can change you so much." She furrowed her brows a bit, and then smiled. "As horrible as it was, and trust me, I do my best not to think about it at all….I'm kind of glad things turned out the way they did. I wonder what would have happened if your Kanto Officers hadn't taken down the Team. How long would I have been stuck in there? How long before Viper got sick of me and decided to kill me? Before you showed up here at the center, I was a mess. I probably wouldn't have been able to pull myself together, perhaps not for a long time if at all. You gave me hope. And for that, thank you." She looked him in the eyes. Oh how she had always adored those emerald green eyes. As that thought crossed her mind, she never realized how much she had actually LIKED James in the past. Perhaps that was why she was able to open up to him so quickly again. She remembered back to a day when Viper had abused her after she made a mistake with his dinner, she had served it with the wrong vegetable. Something as simple as that had earned her a pretty hefty beating. Jessie remembered swearing to herself that if she ever managed to get away, or she somehow survived this hell-hole, that she would never trust a man ever again. She'd played that game too many times and lost. She chuckled a bit now. Guess she never thought that James could have possibly been alive.

James grinned at her. "Whenever you're ready, the guest room is waiting for you. I figure you're probably sick of the recovery center food and the crappy bed. Take your time, I'm by no means trying to rush you, I just want you to know that it's available for you anytime. I think I forgot to mention that Lieutenant Johnson checked my leave status, I have a month worth of leave accrued, so three weeks remain. She also was kind enough to tell me that if I needed more time, she'd be happy to donate some of her leave to me. Ultimately, I don't need to work, thanks to Nanny and Pop-pop, but I choose to because it gives me something to focus on. I was thinking that we could visit one of my summer cabins in a few weeks, perhaps give you some healing time at the beach. What do you think?"

Jessie was surprised by the offer, she had no idea he had "summer cabins". She should have figured though, considering the mountain of money his family seemed to have. The beach idea got her though, it was always one of her favorite places. Growing up, she had often dreamed of becoming a mermaid and exploring the vast ocean. She grinned back at him and said "That sounds great, James. And I think I'm ready to get out of here. I'm not going to lie, I'm still nervous about being out there in the real world. It's been a long time, and I just don't trust that Team Rocket is completely gone, but as long as you promise you'll be there for me, I will put my trust in you. I might mention, that gun of yours does make me feel a bit safer." She tipped her head toward his waist. He hadn't realized that he had worn it in today, and was surprised that no one had said anything to him about it. It was just habit to put it on every day after 4 years of working in the police force. She spoke again. "Let's go talk to Melanie and see what I need to do so that I can get checked out of here."

They walked back into the facility and went to Melanie's room. She answered the door quickly, and explained the discharge process, which was just a quick evaluation by her, and then a few papers would need to be signed. She invited Jessie into the room and asked James to wait outside for a few minutes while she completed the evaluation with Jessie.

"So, Jessie, how are you feeling? You seem to have made huge strides this past week. When you first arrived, I'm not going to lie, you looked incredibly lost and helpless. Today, you have new life in your eyes, and you look like you've made peace with at least some of the demons of the past. Can you tell me a little on what you've done or experienced that has helped you?" Melanie asked. It was her job to make sure the people that came through her facility were cared for properly and released only when they were ready.

"I think that if James hadn't come here to help me…if he hadn't heard about my story or if he hadn't been alive, I probably would be in the exact same condition now that I arrived in. James and I spent a good 8 years of our lives together, between our year at Pokemon Tech, then our Bike Gang, and finally our Team Rocket days. Even though I went through something horrific, I think it's just how you approach it. I've always been a strong person, and I've always tried not to let things get me down. After that first visit with James, I told myself that I couldn't let what happened to me rule my life, I wasn't going to let that sorrow and violation control me. I had the choice to let it eat away at the person I used to be, or I could put it aside and try and remember the person I once was. I chose the latter, because I know deep down it's the right thing to do. If I let it eat away at me, that means Giovanni and Viper win. They clearly wanted to hurt me. I refuse to let them win. The old Jessie wouldn't let them win. Talking to a therapist however, is something the old Jessie would have never done. The first day I went, it was hard to open up and talk to her. The next morning, when I met with James, he made it a point to tell me that it was incredibly important that I talk about my feelings, and help sort them out. Do I think that I've completely recovered in one week? Absolutely not. However, I think I've got a good start, and an amazing friend to help me. I can definitely say I'm lucky, and I know this experience changed me for the better. I'm still nervous, and afraid of the what if's, but I am going to do my best to move on." As she finished, she looked Melanie in the eyes, trying to look as strong as possible. Tears welled up, and her lip quivered. She spoke once more. "I know that I'm extremely lucky. And for that, I'm grateful."

Melanie took both her hands and said, "Jessie, you are very strong. I think you'll do just fine. My last question for you, do you have a plan for getting things in order once you leave here?"

Jessie thought for a moment, and then responded, "Yes, I believe so. James offered to let me use his extra bedroom for the time being, as you know, so I plan on staying there for now. I'm not sure that I'm comfortable to work anywhere until after the trials are completed and things settle down a little bit, so perhaps I will hold off on job searching for a little while. However, I do plan to keep going to my therapy sessions because they truly have been helping. It was definitely hard for me at first, but I think that being able to sort out my feelings is also help me to cope with my feelings. Beyond that, I think I'm just ready to rest and relax."

"Rightfully so, dear. I'm going to give you a list of resources, should you need them. There is information on job searching, resume building, and more on there. It should be a valuable resource when you start getting ready to rejoin the workforce, should you choose to do so. I am also going to print out your discharge information, which has your list of current medications, the anti-anxiety medication and the mild painkiller for your wrist. Dr. Darnbrough requested that you see him again next week to evaluate how your wrist is healing, and to also assess your emotional and mental condition as well. Everyone has been very concerned about you, although I'm incredibly glad to see how well you have been progressing," Melanie finished, reaching over to grab the freshly printed paperwork off her printer. "Now, I just need two signatures, one on the discharge paper and one on your medication list. I'll make a quick copy of both and then you can be on your way. Make sure you grab everything you need from your room and you are free to go. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call me here at the center."

Jessie smiled at her, and reached for a pen to sign the paperwork. She thanked Melanie for all her kindness and help, and left the room. James was waiting for her outside.

"How'd it go?" he asked.

She grinned and said, "I'm free to go, I've got my discharge paperwork right here. I just want to run by my old room and grab the clothes that you got for me. It's all I have."

He nodded and followed her as she got the clothes and prepared to leave. Jessie's nerves began to flare up as the road down the elevator. It had been 6 years since she had been outside beyond the small balcony attached to Viper's apartment. Oh, how many times she had considered throwing herself off that balcony in hopes of ending it all. She was so glad she didn't now, even though she had to endure so much torment and mistreatment.

"Are you ready, Jess? I think when we get back to my house, I'll introduce you to my housekeeper, Gracie. She's an old friend of Nanny's. When Nanny and Pop-pop passed, I offered for her to come stay with me and keep working for the family. She obliged, as she had been my grandparent's housekeeper for many years. It works out, considering with my job I'm not home nearly as much as I'd like to be. I'm sure you'll love her, she's a sweet lady." James said, as they walked out the doors and toward the parking lot.

The bright sun hurt Jessie's eyes at first. It had been such a long time since she was able to enjoy it, and her eyes certainly weren't used to it. She shielded her eyes with her hand, and then looked at James. "If you don't like your job, why do you stay there? You said you have plenty of money," she asked, looking at him with a curious expression.

"It keeps me busy. As I told you, I haven't stopped looking for you since we were separated. I would have gone absolutely insane if I didn't have something to keep my mind occupied every day. So, I worked. I do enjoy my job, even though it doesn't sound like it. It just requires a lot of hours," he replied. They reached his car, a relatively plain SUV. He loaded her bag into the back, and helped her into the passenger seat. She smiled gratefully at him, as she was still a bit sore, especially her wrist.

With that, he got in the other side and began to drive home.


	6. Chapter 6

**Well, this one got away from me a bit. I hope you all enjoy it! Let me know what you think, reviews are always appreciated! :)**

 **Chapter 6**

It truly was a beautiful day, and Kanto was certainly a beautiful place. Jessie never realized how wonderful it would be to see all of the trees, flowing grass fields, and even the cute little houses again. They had been driving for about 10 minutes, and she wondered how far James' house was from where they were currently. He had been oddly silent since they got into the car. Some new age hip-hop music played at a low volume in the background. She glanced over at James, wondering what he was thinking about. She decided to ask him.

"James, you're quiet….what's up?"

For a moment his face was blank, and then he seemed to shake off whatever was bothering him. "Oh…uh, nothing is wrong. Just thinking, that's all." He replied, quickly.

"Are you sure? If you're still anything like the James I used to know, you're definitely thinking about something," Jessie countered.

"I guess I'm just thinking of how lucky we both are. Luck has never been our thing before, so what changed? I'm by no means complaining, don't get me wrong, it just seems odd, you know?" He said, and shrugged. "I'm definitely glad things have turned out this way, absolutely no doubts there."

Jessie smiled and said, " I agree. It does seem a bit weird, doesn't it? I thought that the first day I saw you again. At first I assumed it was some awful trick that Giovanni or Viper would pull on me." She shuddered a bit at the mention of their names. "I am starting to think I don't ever want to talk about them ever again. What I wouldn't give to put all that crap behind me and start over."

"Well, that's the goal. I'll do whatever I can to help," James said, and reached over to squeeze her good hand. "Everything will be fine. I believe the trial is 2 weeks from tomorrow. I hope that will help give you some closure."

"I hope it will too. It'll be nice knowing that they'll be put away for a long time. I am afraid to think of what might happen if they aren't." She replied, another shudder rippling down her spine.

"Let's not think about that, okay? I'm sure that there is far more than enough evidence to put them away for a very long time," James reassured her. "On a happier note, we are about 5 minutes away from my house. I hope you'll like it."

For those last 5 minutes, the two just chatted lightly about various subjects. Eventually, James turned on his signal indicating a right turn. Jessie looked out the window in the direction of the turn, and saw a long driveway lined with beautiful cherry trees, all in full blossom. It must be spring, she thought to herself. For a moment she had another moment of embarrassment, it hadn't even occurred to her to think about the seasons again, any holidays, or anything like that. She realized that the nurse had mentioned it was the beginning of March once or twice, but it had never really held any bearing in her mind. She also realized that her 27th birthday would be next month. 27….almost 30 years old…and sadly over half of her twenties had been spent catering to the needs of an awful, terrible human being. She sighed.

"What, you don't like it so far?" James queried, looking over at her.

"No no, it's not that at all. The cherry blossoms are downright beautiful. They just reminded me what season it was, and it made me think of my birthday coming up. Then it turned to thoughts of how I've spent over half of my twenties as a prisoner. It's a bit of a sobering thought." Jessie said quietly.

As they continued down the abnormally long driveway, it curved around a bend. The cherry trees ended at the bend, and a large thicket of arborvitae bushes lined the side of the drive facing the main road, blocking it from view. It was then they pulled up to a two-story, beautiful log house with a beautifully landscaped yard. The driveway finished in a roundabout in front of the house, which was edged by a log fence that matched the house. The house itself had a wraparound porch, with a cute little swing on the front portion. Jessie smiled. It wasn't extravagant, but it was tasteful and beautiful, she should have expected no less from James. He would never have wanted a huge mansion. This house wasn't particularly large, by any means, but she assumed the inside would be just as beautiful as the outside.

James saw her looking over the house, and spoke.

"What do you think? I fell in love with this house when the realtor showed it to me. Wait until you see the inside." He smiled and got out of the car, coming over to Jessie's side to help her out.

A small, grey haired woman wearing an apron came out onto the porch and waved at James. He saw her and waved back. "Hi, Gracie!" he yelled. She smiled and waved a little harder in response. Jessie smiled at the two.

"Let's get you inside. I'll come back out for your bag in a little while," he said, and they walked up to the porch together.

"Gracie, I'd like you to meet Jessie. Jessie, this is my wonderful friend and housekeeper, Gracie," James said, introducing them. Jessie reached out her good hand to gently shake Gracie's.

"It's nice to meet you, Miss Jessie. I've heard so much about you. James has told me many stories about your days together. I have to say, it was such a pleasant surprise to hear that you had been found, despite the circumstances. James has always feared the worst. But you can bet that he's always been looking for you. You're pretty lucky to have a friend like him." Gracie said to Jessie in a kind voice. James, standing behind Jessie, turned a shade of red but smiled and laughed. "And James, it's good to see you, dear. I've gotten the guest bedroom all ready to go for Miss Jessie. There are fresh towels on the chair and clean linens on the bed, and I made sure that I vaccuumed the room quite well…considering it's your mutt's favorite nap spot." She chuckled…and almost as if on cue, a large tan and orange creature bounded out the doorway and jumped up on James.

"Is that Growlie?!" Jessie said, surprised to see James' Growlithe here. "Wasn't he at your parents' mansion?"

"Yep, he was, but when I went there after we were separated, he insisted upon coming with me. Wouldn't let me leave. It's been wonderful having him back. He's getting old, but he's still got plenty of spunk." James replied, and Growlie let out a bark and then focused his attention on Jessie, sniffing her and licking her hand. James figured he recognized her from their stint at his parents' house a while back. At first growlie seemed wary. James spoke again, "Growlie, this is Jessie. I know she looks like Jessiebelle, but she's not, I promise." Growlie nodded in agreement and licked Jessie's hand again, then let out a bark and took off into the house. The three humans laughed.

"Come on in, you two. I'll get working on supper. James, why don't you help get Jessie settled in her new room, and in about 20 minutes, come downstairs and I'll set out some drinks and appetizers out on the back porch. Sound good?" Gracie said, and hurried off toward the kitchen.

James extended a hand to Jessie, and she lightly placed hers in his. "Let me show you around the house a bit, and then I'll take you up to your room." Jessie nodded and smiled at him.

They stepped inside the foyer, and Jessie immediately noticed the beautiful hardwood floors beneath her feet. He showed her the living room, which was to her immediate right, which boasted two large couches and a big plasma TV mounted on the wall. She could only guess that James probably had a number of gaming consoles and whatnot, he'd always been a gamer in his off time. On the left was the dining room, which had a large, light oak colored table with 6 chairs and tasteful crystal chandelier above it. From there, he showed her the kitchen which was attached to the dining room. The kitchen was incredible, granite countertops, a center island for the stove, and a stacked oven next to a large corner pantry. On the other side of the room was a protruding bay window with a breakfast nook in it, overlooking a beautiful lake a couple thousand feet away, and mountains towering up behind it. She hadn't seen the mountains when they drove up, the front drive had too many beautiful trees.

He guided her through the kitchen, where she smiled at Gracie who was cooking away; whatever she was making smelled heavenly! The two stepped out onto the other side of the wraparound porch, and Jessie took in the remainder of the backyard. There was a weeping willow tree off to the right of the house, and a small gazebo sat on one side of the tree. The lake wasn't very big, but it's blue water shimmered in the midday sun. Jessie noticed a small boat moored to a dock.

James looked over at her and grinned. "I knew you'd love it!" He exclaimed, and grabbed her hand to show her more. They came back inside, and he quickly showed her his mud room and laundry room, which were attached to the back porch as well, making it easy to come inside after working in the yard if he chose to do so. In the middle of the house was a staircase leading up to the second floor, and also a staircase leading down to the basement. "The basement is where Gracie lives. It's a fully furnished apartment, kitchen and everything. Although, she typically does all her cooking up here. Since it had been just the two of us here until now, it was nice to have some company from time to time when I was home from work," he explained, as they walked up the stairs, which opened up to a large hallway with a number of rooms branching out on each side. The house certainly was larger inside than it appeared on the outside.

James showed her his office, and then the master bedroom. She gaped when he showed her; the room had large bay windows taking up the whole side of the house, overlooking the lake and the mountains. For a moment, her mind wandered, wondering how nice it would be to share a room like this with him…but she quickly caught herself and thought, "no, he would never have an interest in me after all I've been through." She shoved that thought out of her mind.

"It's gorgeous, James. You've certainly outdone yourself on this one. I'll bet it's nice after sleeping out in the middle of nowhere for so long. I could only dream of ever owning a home like this," Jessie said. It was at this moment that she finally -noticed- him. The past week, she had been in a bit of a daze as she had come out of her experience, and hadn't really bothered to really LOOK at him. She realized how much he'd matured over the past 6 years. His face was no longer childish, it was of a man who had experienced life and overcome it's hardships. His lavender hair, which was slightly longer now, was pulled back into a loose ponytail, and part of it fell in front of his ears to frame his face. His emerald green eyes were as beautiful as they'd always been. She let her gaze wander a bit more, and realized that he had put on some muscle since they were younger, and filled into that lanky body he used to have. He had certainly grown into a fine young adult, she thought to herself, and then she realized exactly what she was thinking. Not only had he grown up mentally and emotionally, being able to hold a pretty serious job, he had also grown up physically, into a very handsome man. She blushed, and couldn't even believe she was thinking such thoughts, especially considering that she had sworn off men a few years back. But this…this was different. This was James. "Nonono, Jessie, he's just your friend, just like he's always been. You've never liked him like THAT!" She thought to herself. Perhaps she was looking for stability and comfort, and somewhere deep in her heart, she knew that James could provide that for her in a way that no one else ever had. But the rest of her was too terrified to believe it. Not yet at least.

She was brought out of her reverie by James waving a hand in front of her face. "Hello…Jessie…are you okay?" he asked, looking at her with his eyebrows raised.

Jessie shook it off and realized that she was probably blushing. Awkward. "Yes, I'm fine, sorry. Just a bit jealous, that's all," she faked.

"Don't be jealous. This is your home too, for as long as you'd like to stay," he responded, smiling at her gently.

"Thank you James. You have no idea how much your kindness means to me," she said, smiling back. "Although, I do have one lingering question….how does a man like you stay single? I mean, with a house and a job like you have, I figure the girls would be all over you!" She giggled a little bit, although at the thought of another woman, she felt a pang of jealousy shoot through her.

"With my job, I just don't have the time. Plus, I've never really been looking for a woman. Jessiebelle really put me off to the whole idea of marriage and dating. And for the record, what woman would want to date a man who was constantly searching for his long lost best friend? A female best friend, no less. That's not to say I haven't gone out on a few dates in the past, but there was just never anything there, no connection, no sparks…whatever. Just not my thing, so I haven't really thought much about it. Work keeps me busy enough." James said, running his fingers through the back of his ponytail, and then shrugged. "I'm happy just being me."

"I guess that makes sense. Sort of." Jessie said. She wondered if perhaps he too thought there could be more between them. She wondered how long he could have felt that way for. No way he could have felt like that back in their team rocket days, could he? Her mind went a million directions, but she tried to push all the emotions back down. This was coming up too fast…she needed time to think. But yet, it was her own mind that was pushing her toward these feelings. Is it because they really did exist? Maybe…she thought to herself. Only time would tell, and she intended to take plenty of it.

James guided her out of his room, and brought her down to the only remaining room in the house that they hadn't toured. He opened the door, and a soft light filtered into the room from the window. It too was on the back side of the house, so the small bay window overlooked the lake and mountains as well. This particular room wasn't very large, it was a medium sized room with a double bed, a large dresser and a sitting bench beneath the window. There was a small bathroom attached, which he told her was all hers to use.

"This is your room. Gracie left fresh towels here on the dresser for you. She does laundry a few times a week, and will come collect them. There is a laundry basket in the closet, feel free to use it and she will do that laundry as well. You'll have to ask her what days she usually does it, I honestly don't know. She's such a dear, she always makes sure I have clean work clothes and plenty of food. I'm pretty lucky to have such a wonderful housekeeper. I'm sure she will gladly give you the same courtesy. She was Nanny's best friend for many years." James explained. "Now, I think we've probably used up most of our 20 minutes by now. I'm going to change real quick and head downstairs to see if she needs any help. Feel free to change, or do whatever you need to do. I'll see you down there in a few minutes."

With that, he disappeared back into the hallway and down the stairs, leaving Jessie to take in her thoughts. She knew she had a lot to think about in the next few weeks. She sat down for a few moments to relax.


	7. Chapter 7

**Update:** Sorry for the delay on getting this chapter up, I've had a very busy few weeks and a family medical issue. Here it is. Just a note, this chapter has more adult material in it, a bit of blood, and some language. Just figured I'd throw that out there since most of the chapters have been relatively tame so far. Don't say you weren't warned if you don't like that kind of thing.

Reviews are appreciated. And yes, I know that they are slightly OOC, but that's the point for this story. I'm trying to develop the characters into adult characters. :) Let me know what you think.

 **Chapter 7**

The first few days after Jessie had arrived at James' house had gone by particularly slowly, but she enjoyed every minute of it because it was the first time she had been able to truly relax and feel comfortable somewhere in years. She would spend time in her room alone for a few hours in the morning, reading the magazines that James had left for her, daydreaming of what her life could have been like, or could be like sometime in the future. She had never been an early riser for the majority of her life, but recently she had begun waking up rather early, around 6am. This routine of spending time to herself lasted till about 9am, and by then she had showered and dressed as well. After that, she would join Gracie and James for breakfast in the nook that overlooked the lake. Jessie felt a sense of peace that she had never felt in her entire life, and it was something that she hoped she could hold on to. The rest of the day was usually spent doing various things around the house; she would help James out with basic yardwork, planting flowers, tending to the garden, and sometimes they'd just sit by the lake and talk. In the evenings, Jessie would help Gracie prepare dinner. Since she'd never had a motherly figure in her life, she very much enjoyed her talks with Gracie.

James had driven her in to see Dr. Darnbrough a week after she had been released, and her wrist was healing very well. She no longer needed to be on any medications, besides her anxiety medicine. She was to still see her therapist once every few weeks to help her sort out her feelings regarding her ordeal. The remainder of that week had been uneventful, but enjoyable.

About two weeks after she had been released from the recovery center, one morning, she came downstairs and Gracie had already set the table for breakfast, and James was on the phone with someone. Jessie heard bits and snippets of the conversation, but as soon as he hung up, he came over and filled her in.

"Jessie, that was Lieutenant Johnson, as you know, she is my boss. She called me because she needs me to come into the office today to cover a few things and discuss the upcoming trial. The date has been set, and it's a week from today. The good news is, you won't need to be present for it. Lieutenant Johnson already offered to take your place as a witness and provide your story, but I do have to be there since I am one of the major crimes officers, and it is our unit that is pressing charges against Giovanni and his men. I'm sure that you and Gracie could find something fun to do that day, perhaps she could teach you how to bake or sew, or something girly like that." James explained, and continued on. "In the meantime, I need to head down there around 11am. You're welcome to come with me if you want, you can just hang out in my office while I take care of things. It shouldn't take me long, maybe an hour or so. Perhaps we could grab lunch in town afterward and do some shopping?"

Jessie hesitated for a moment, not really sure she wanted to sit in the office while he worked, but figured it would be a fun afternoon if she could just get through the boring part of waiting. "Sure, why not. It'd be nice to get out for a bit, and lunch sounds great." She smiled, and stood. "I'll go get ready." With that, she went upstairs to put on a bit of makeup and change into something a little more comfortable since it was about a 40 minute drive into town. When she was finished, she met James downstairs and they got into the car and began the drive to his office.

It was a sunny day, and the weather was mild, so they drove with the windows down and the music up a bit. They chatted about random things, and decided that they'd try out a new sandwich shop near Viridian Forest for lunch when James finished his work. Jessie grinned as they drove along, despite all the things she'd gone through lately, she was happy. It was a good feeling, and she didn't want it to go away any time soon. She kept letting her mind wander to the future, and wondered what it held for her. Her mind kept thinking of James…would she stay with him, or would she do her own thing? She didn't particularly like the idea of the latter, she'd been with James for over half her life, she realized when she looked back on their history together. He had been her best friend, and still was. James was the only person she could really, truly count on in her life. There had been a time when she had been Viper's captive, where she had wanted to blame James for the situation she was in, but she just couldn't do it. The thought had crossed her mind, that it was his fault for causing them to fail and get onto Giovanni's bad side which had resulted in their separation. However, not knowing what had happened to him made her toss the thought away…perhaps he had it much worse than she had. Even now, knowing that he had gotten lucky, she still never wanted to think of blaming him ever again. She had just been in such a bad place that she didn't know what else to do. Now that she was free of all that madness, and he had been the one to come to her rescue, she wanted to know where their lives were headed.

They continued making small talk for the remainder of the drive, and arrived at the Kanto Police Force Office.

Jessie looked over at James and said, "You must really like your job, that's one heck of a commute for a day job. Almost two hours in the car every day would drive me insane!"

He chuckled and replied, "Yeah, well when you don't have much else to do with your life besides work, it's not that big of a deal. I enjoy driving, so it's not usually an issue for me. I just get up early, drive in, do my job, and come home. That's how it's been for the last few years, and it's worked out alright for me thus far." He smiled and motioned for her to follow him. "Come on inside, I'll show you to my office. I have some magazines and a few books on the shelves, you're welcome to read some of those, or I can log onto my computer and you can use the guest account to surf the net. Just don't buy everything on Pokezon, please." He grinned.

"Haha, funny, James," Jessie said, and playfully punched him in the shoulder. She followed him into the large office building, and up the elevator two floors, to the Major Crimes unit. They exited the elevator and passed a few other officers, who greeted James and acknowledged Jessie with friendly smiles. She smiled back, but stayed close to James. Even though it was a police station, being away from his home made her feel just the tiniest bit uneasy. She had hoped that this feeling would have been gone, but she figured it was still too soon after for it to have completely gone away. They arrived at his office, marked with a gold plaque stating "Officer Morgan" on the door. He unlocked it and let her in, and proceeded to show her a few things, as well as telling her where she could find the restrooms, should she need them. "Alright, I'll let you get settled, and I'm going to go speak with Officer Johnson. I will be back in a little bit. Officer Lee is in the room next door, if you need any assistance, he's the man to ask," he finished with a smile, and left the office.

Jessie busied herself with a magazine she found on the shelf, it was the Offical Pokemon Contest Magazine. Oh how she missed competing in contests! She settled into his comfortable office chair, and delved into an article on "How to Train for Contests."

James knocked at Lieutenant Johnson's door, and was promptly greeted with a "Come in!" He did as told, and entered the office.

"Hello Officer Morgan, thanks so much for coming in. It'll be good to get this taken care of today, so that we are ready for the trial next week. I have a few pieces of paperwork for you to fill out regarding your position at the trial, and then I need to ask you to do a big favor for me." Lieutenant Johnson explained, rifling through a large stack of papers at her desk, labeled "ROCKET TRIAL", in large, bold letters.

"Not a problem, Lieutenant. If you'll hand me the paperwork, I'll finish that right away. What's the favor you need from me?" James asked, as he took a seat in the guest chair across from her, grabbing a pen from his shirt pocket.

"I know that you're not going to like it, but I need you to question Viper for me. He will not respond to anyone, and I need to have it on taped record that he's talked to someone. The goal is to have him admit verbally that he's done something wrong, you know the game. I'm hoping that since you have a history with him, that he might actually say something to you," She said, looking over at him. "He's in holding cell 27 in the basement. After the trial, from what I understand, he is to be transferred to the Cerulean High Security Corrections Facility, along with Giovanni and the other elite rocket agents, considering they are found guilty. I highly doubt they have any ground against us otherwise, but I'm trying to cover as many bases as I can."

"I understand. No, of course I want nothing to do with the bastard that hurt Jessie….but I get why you want me to do it. I'll finish my paperwork and give it a try." James replied, running his fingers through his lavender hair.

"Thank you, Officer. I appreciate your willingness to help with this as much as possible. I know the satisfaction of him getting the book thrown at him for life will be just what you need," the Lieutenant said with a smirk. She picked up the two way radio that was sitting beside the stack of paperwork on the desk, and radioed down to the guards in the basement. "Guards this is Lieutenant Johnson, please bring the occupant of cell 27 to the interrogation room by 11:30am, please. Officer James Morgan will be the attending Officer. Be ready to stand guard outside during the questioning. Thank you." The response came quick, from a gruff voice. "Yes, Lieutenant!"

"Well, you're all set. The paperwork just requires you to read it over and sign in a few places, as well as make a short statement as to your position on the case. I'll let you do that now, while I refill my coffee and grab a snack," Lieutenant Johnson said, and stepped out of the office for a few minutes.

James quickly read through the paperwork, which explained the order of proceedings, such as who will be speaking when, and during what prosecution. Each individual, Giovanni, Viper, and the other elites would have separate "mini" trials amongst the larger trial, and would be prosecuted as individuals as well as a group. He signed where he needed to, and began his quick statement of his position. He explained who he was, and that he would be a part of the main prosecution of the whole of Team Rocket, stating that he had various sources of evidence to present against them. He tapped his pen against the desk as he made sure there was nothing else he needed to add. When he was satisfied with the report, he quickly glanced over at the clock on the wall. It read 11:23. He needed to get downstairs quickly, he didn't want to make the guards wait for him. Right as he stood, Lieutenant Johnson came back into her office.

"Are you finished with the paperwork, Officer Morgan?" She asked, coffee in one hand and a bagel in the other.

"Yes ma'am, I think I got everything. If you don't mind looking it over and double checking for me, I'd appreciate it. I need to get down to the basement now," He said, visibly shuddering. He was hoping he could keep his emotions in check…more like his rage in check. He knew that she was right, that he might provoke Viper into talking, considering James' past history with Jessie. James remembered that all he needed was a verbal confession. He hoped he could get it without having to push too hard, but at the same time, he knew that he didn't want to hear it. With that, he smiled a wary smile at the lieutenant, and made his way out the door and toward the elevator. No one else was on the elevator as it made it's way down to the depths of the Kanto Police Force Station, where the region's unprosecuted criminals awaited trial. It was James' least favorite place to have to deal with. The elevator dinged as it arrived, doors opening to a dark and gloomy basement that looked like something out of a horror film. All the more reason he hated it. He walked down the hallway to the interrogation room, and one of the guards stood outside awaiting him.

"Hello Officer Morgan," the guard greeted him. James didn't recognize the man, he must have been a new security guard team member.

"Hello sir. If you'll allow me in, I'd like to get this over with," James said. He had brought a tape recorder with him, and clipped it to his belt, switching it to the on position. He knew it was always smart to start the recording before entering an interrogation room, just in case words were exchanged before he managed to get seated. The guard unlocked the door, and James entered the room.

Viper was a big, burly man, someone you definitely wouldn't want to mess with. He sat, handcuffed behind a big metal table, wearing a bright orange jumpsuit with the words Property of KPFJ (Kanto Police Force Jail) across the front in bold white letters. He glared at James as he entered, and James saw him stiffen up as he realized who it was that was going to be interrogating him. It was at that moment that James was grateful he had remembered to bring his gun with him to the station today; a police issue .45 caliber hangun, strapped to his belt. He sat down across the table from Viper.

"You. They sent a little rat like you here to question me? You're supposed to be dead, how the hell did you get away? Giovanni's plan was foolproof. Jessie comes to me, and you go to Unova to be a slave. We never expected you to survive, the weakling you are. And here you are in a police officer getup. Disgusting. Do they know your real roots, Team Rocket Agent?" Viper hissed through clenched teeth, taking his handcuffed hands from resting onto the table down into his lap angrily.

"Now now, Viper, don't get testy with me. If you recall, I never actually succeeded in my missions, so essentially, I never committed any crimes. You on the other hand….have quite the record, I see," James replied, folding his hands on top of the table. "Now, care to tell me a bit about what happened?"

Viper growled, fidgeting in his seat, clearly infuriated. "I still can't get over you as a police officer, is this for real?" He spat. "What a joke. But then again, so was that Jessie girl. A mattress could fuck better than she ever could."

James' blood boiled, but he knew he had to stay calm. He knew that Viper was fishing for a reaction, something he definitely could not have gotten from any other officer. None of them had the misfortune of knowing Viper previously. James and Jessie had spent plenty of time with Viper during training, he was the one who pushed them through their initial missions during their months of training together. James had always thought of Viper as an asshole, but nothing like this. However, he should have expected it considering that Viper and Giovanni were buddies.

"Tell me, Viper, and how did that work out for you?" James pried, trying not to release what he already knew, but pushing just enough to hopefully get a good confession out of him.

Viper continued to fidget, but kept consistent eye contact with James. James stared back at him, hard.

"That redheaded rat of yours was a lousy cook too, and she could never get my clothes clean the way I liked them. Was she always like that with you?" Viper said, a crooked grin spreading across his face. "Oh…wait, except in your situation, she was the one wearing the pants. Did you always do the housechores, pussy?" A throaty laugh echoed through the room.

James unclasped his hands and let them fall to his lap, fists clenched in anger. No one talked to him like this, and yet, he couldn't do a thing about it. "That's not any of your business, Viper. Now, answer my question. Tell me what happened over the past few years."

"Oh, you mean tell you about the nights where I came home from helping Giovanni plot to take over the world in classic Team Rocket fashion, only to pin your sweet Jessica up against the wall and take her all for myself? Whether she wanted it or not? Oh yes…I did. And even if it sucked, it was better than nothing. Oh, and no doubt I satisfied her more than you ever could. Not that you'd ever even try….I'm sure you'd rather parade around in dresses, isn't that right, James?" Viper cackled, a maniacal grin plastered to his hardened face.

James trembled in anger. "Is that so, Viper? You seem to know me so well."

"How is that little bitch, anyway?" Viper queried.

"Her well being is none of your concern, Viper. Is there anything else you need to tell me?" James pushed a little bit more, just in case he could get anything else out of the man.

However, it was at that moment that Viper suddenly stood up, throwing the heavy metal table backwards, knocking James out of the chair and onto the floor, the table falling atop his legs, trapping him. Viper lunged across the fallen table, hands clearly free of the handcuffs, to James' surprise. In his right hand, Viper had some sort of metal object, and he slashed at James, slicing his upper right shoulder. James screamed out in shock and pain as the guard, hearing the commotion, rushed in along with two other guards, guns drawn and pointed at Viper.

"Drop the weapon, NOW, and stand up with your hands above your head!" One of the guards demanded, finger on the trigger.

Viper still held the object, eyes darting back and forth. In a split second, he lunged one more time toward James, connecting with the same shoulder, driving the sharpened object into the already exposed tissue. The guard fired the gun, hitting Viper directly in the side of the skull, blood spattering everywhere as the impact threw the man against the wall of the room. Viper was dead in an instant.

James sat there, in shock, clutching his shoulder which was dripping blood around the metal object. He reached up with his other hand and yanked it out, against his better judgement. It looked as if it was a piece of a bed frame, likely from Viper's cell, that he had somehow sharpened and tucked up his sleeve. James could only assume he used it to pick the handcuffs lock. At that point, James' vision was blurring, and he was feeling dizzy. His vision faded in and out as more officers rushed into the room, one of them kneeling next to James. "Are you okay?" The officer asked, just as James blacked out.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:**

 **Well, this chapter got finished pretty quick. This week isn't very busy so I've had time to do some thinking and get some writing done. I also figured you all didn't like that cliffhanger in the last chapter. ;) Anyway, here's the next one. A bit of graphic detail, but not much. Nothing major.**

 **As always, reviews are appreciated! Let me know what you think. I go back and forth on whether or not I'm happy with this story so far.**

 **Chapter 8**

Jessie had been reading another article about one of the most recent contests that took place in Hoenn, with many amazing contestants, when her concentration was broken by the sound of sirens outside. She looked up and glanced out the window to see an ambulance and an incident response team from the local fire station pull up at the ground floor of the Kanto Station. At that moment, Lieutenant Johnson burst through the door of James' office, a worried look on her face. Jessie looked up at her in surprise.

"Jessie, I need you to come with me. There's…ah….been an accident," Lieutenant Johnson said hurriedly, motioning for Jessie to follow her.

A wave of shock and nausea hit Jessie hard, memories flooding back to her. Her mind was filled with all sorts of horrible thoughts. She rose and followed at the Lieutenants' heels as they walked down the hallway toward the elevator. "…what…what happened?" Jessie asked cautiously.

"I'm not exactly sure the details, but I'll tell you what I know. I had James come in to finish the paperwork for the trial last week, and I also had him come in to question Viper. Viper refused to speak to anyone, but I thought that perhaps he'd speak to James, considering his and your history with him in Team Rocket. From what I understand, Viper did talk, and gave us plenty of information to put him away for a very long time, however, he somehow escaped his handcuffs and attacked James. James suffered a serious injury to his shoulder, he was slashed and then stabbed, and passed out shortly after. The medics are here to transport him to the hospital. Luckily one of the on duty guards in the prison had advanced first aid training and was able to help slow the bleeding. They'll be loading him up now to take him to Kanto General. He'll likely need surgery. As for Viper, the guard shot him and he was killed instantly," the Lieutenant explained, as they entered the elevator. It descended the two floors, and opened up to a flurry of EMT's rushing around the lobby.

Jessie immediately noticed James on a stretcher, being moved out to the ambulance by two of the EMT members. She raced to catch up with them, and saw the blood-soaked wrap around James' right shoulder. His eyes were closed, she assumed he was probably still passed out from shock and blood loss. Lieutenant Johnson came up behind her and spoke, "Will you please accompany him to the hospital? I have a few things I need to take care of here, and I'll be coming over there as well. I feel as if this is my fault, and I'd like to help any way I can. It probably wasn't my best judgement to send him in there, regardless of whether or not I thought he could get a confession out of Viper." She looked at Jessie, and Jessie nodded, and replied, "Yes, I'll go with him, of course I will. He would, and has done the same for me before." She followed the EMT's, and one showed her where to sit for the ride, and she buckled in as they lifted the stretcher into the ambulance.

Tears welled up in Jessie's eyes, this was not what she had wanted, not at all. Definitely not what she had expected for a day that was supposed to be fun. Just when she thought her life was mellowing out, it got complicated again. Jessie put her face in her hands as the EMT's talked amongst themselves, one requesting an IV be placed in James' left arm, and an antibiotic drip be started immediately due to the nature of the object he was stabbed with. They wanted to ensure that the wound not get infected. Jessie sighed and glanced over at James' helpless body on the stretcher. All she wanted was to comfort him as he had comforted her when she needed it, but he wasn't even conscious. She shuddered, worrying what might happen to him.

She spoke quietly, posing a question to the nearest EMT, a slightly older man with bright blonde hair and blue eyes, "He's not going to die, is he?"

The man looked at her and smiled, "No, your friend here is very lucky. The wound is deep, however when he was slashed, it somehow just barely missed the main artery, and when he was stabbed, it didn't go as deep as it could have, it looks like when the guard shot the man who attacked him, it happened just in time before more damage was done to the already present wound. At the moment, he's lost a lot of blood, but his vitals are relatively stable. He will need a blood transfusion at the hospital, and will need to be evaluated to determine if he requires surgery or not. I'm not a surgeon, but just by looking at the wound, I do believe they will need to do a bit of tissue repair in the operating room so that he will have full use of his arm and shoulder when he heals. We dosed him with a narcotic pain medication before bringing him up to the ambulance, and he is likely still unconscious because of that. His breathing is a bit sharp, but he's taking in enough oxygen. You have nothing to worry about, he will be just fine," he explained, as he inserted an IV into James' arm as the head EMT had requested. Next, he hooked up the antibiotic drip to the IV. "When we get to the hospital, they will clean the wound and a surgeon will come inspect the injury, and that's when they'll decide if the surgery is necessary or not."

Jessie nodded, and watched as the team continued to tend to James, they cut off his mangled shirt and set it aside, and cleaned up the blood that had worked it's way under the shirt and onto his skin. The ambulance took off to the hospital, sirens blaring as they made their way through the early afternoon traffic. Within a few minutes, they arrived at the hospital, and the EMT's quickly unloaded the stretcher, and the man who Jessie had spoken with earlier motioned for her to follow along. They were taken to a triage room in the emergency department and checked into the hospital, where a nurse met them and took over control. Jessie thanked the EMT's, and they left the room.

"You must be his wife?" the nurse asked, looking at Jessie kindly.

Jessie blushed two shades of red at a minimum, and replied, "Oh no…no, he's just a good friend of mine, he's my roommate….we're…we're not together," she finished, tripping over her words. Oh how embarrassing that was. Except, a small part of her heart jumped when the woman asked her, and a thought jumped into her head….'would he ever consider marrying me?' However she quickly shoved the thought out of her brain, every time she thought anything like that it always made her feel guilty for some reason, as if she wasn't allowed to be happy or think such thoughts.

The nurse quickly apologized, "Oh, I'm terribly sorry, I didn't mean to assume. My apologies, dear. My name is Leanna, I'm the on duty nurse this afternoon. What's your friend's name?"

"His name is James….James Morgan," Jessie responded, as she took a seat next to the hospital bed.

"Thank you. I'm going to work on cleaning his wound. The EMT's briefed me on what happened and left the report from the scene. The surgeon and doctor will be here shortly to assess his injury and determine what the next steps are. For now, we will manage his pain accordingly, should he awaken before they arrive," Leanna explained, as she began to remove the bandages around James' shoulder. Jessie's eyes widened in horror as she saw the damage done to his arm. It was an open, raw mess, about 5 inches long and 2 or so inches wide. It didn't seem too deep, but the sight still made Jessie dizzy, and it wasn't even her injury. It brought her terrible memories flooding into her mind again; Viper had left smaller, but similar injuries on her many times in the past. She glanced down at the healing scars on her wrists from her bonds….and tears again came to her eyes. 'When will life ever be normal?' she wondered, and sighed. She let her head fall into her hands again….and somehow dozed off.

About 2 hours later, she was gently awoken by Lieutenant Johnson. "Jessie, wake up."

"Hmm…what?" Jessie said groggily. In a moment, the realization of what had just happened came back to her and she sat bolt upright, looking around the room anxiously. James was still in the hospital bed, but instead of being passed out, he was sitting up, awake, the bed elevated to support him. An older man with graying hair was standing on the opposite side of the bed, talking to James.

"You're very lucky, Officer Morgan. This injury could have been much worse. That said, even though it's relatively minor, we do need to take you for surgery to do some minor tissue and ligament repair to make sure that you'll have full use of your shoulder and arm once you heal. You'll have about 16 or so stitches after the surgery, and you'll be cleared to go home tomorrow afternoon with pain medication and restrictions on activity for the first few weeks. You won't be able to lift anything for approximately a month, and you'll need to wear a sling to help keep your arm from moving too much. During the surgery, we will do a blood transfusion to help replenish the blood you've lost. Since it's 3pm, and our last surgeon leaves around 5pm, we need to get this done quickly. After the surgery this afternoon, you'll spend a couple of hours in the recovery room and then be admitted to a regular hospital floor, to be discharged tomorrow," the doctor explained. "I'll give you a few minutes to talk to your friends, and then we will need to head down to the pre-op room to get you ready."

"Thank you, Doctor." James said weakly, and then looked over at Jessie and Lieutenant Johnson.

"Oh James…I'm so sorry…," Jessie said, as she stood and came over to rest her hand on his good shoulder. He gently leaned his head toward her arm.

"It's definitely not your fault…don't apologize. Sounds like I'm going to be fine. Lieutenant, can you do me a big favor and drive Jessie home to my house? That way she doesn't have to stay here tonight, and she can let Gracie know what's going on," James asked softly. "Gracie has her own vehicle and her and Jessie can pick me up tomorrow afternoon when I'm discharged."

Lieutenant Johnson smiled and nodded. "Of course, Officer Morgan, I'm happy to help. Please let me know if there is anything else you need and I'll gladly take care of it. Before I came here, I spoke with the Officer in Charge at the station, and asked that you be relieved of your position on the trial next week, considering the circumstances. And now that Viper is no longer alive….we realistically don't need to prosecute against him, but after listening to the tape you managed to get, we have plenty of evidence against him and Giovanni to put them away for a very long time. So, thank you. Truly."

Jessie bent down and gave James a very gentle, one sided hug, careful not to hurt him. He smiled and hugged her with his good arm. "It's alright Jessie, I'm going to be fine. Go home and take care of yourself, let Gracie know what's going on. I'll call you this evening after I'm out of surgery and let you know how things are going."

Jessie nodded and bit her lip, trying not to cry. "Ok. I'll see you tomorrow, James."

The doctor looked to Jessie for approval that their conversation was finished. She nodded to him as well, and he spoke, "Alright James, let's get you down to the OR to get prepped for surgery," and he began wheeling the hospital bed into the hallway.

Lieutenant Johnson and Jessie left the hospital, climbing into her police issue Jeep. They drove to James' house in silence, both of them too immersed in their own thoughts to carry on a conversation. When they arrived, Lieutenant Johnson walked Jessie up to the front door, and Gracie opened it. "Is everything OK?" Gracie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Gracie, there was an accident today. James is currently in surgery at Kanto General after an inmate attacked him during a questioning this morning. He's going to be fine, but his arm was slashed by a fabricated weapon and required surgery to repair some of the muscles and tendons. He will need to stay at the hospital overnight for observation, but tomorrow afternoon, he will be released home. James requested that I bring Jessie home and fill you in on the situation, and he asked that you and Jessie pick him up from the hospital tomorrow. He also said that he'd call after his surgery this evening and let you both know how he's doing," the Lieutenant explained. "Is there anything I can help you both with before I leave?"

"No no, thank you, you've done plenty. I appreciate the ride back home," Jessie replied.

"Thank you for letting me know what happened, Lieutenant, we appreciate your assistance," Gracie said, giving the officer a quick hug.

"You're welcome. Keep me posted on James, please," she said as she walked back to her Jeep. She got in, and disappeared down the driveway.

Gracie and Jessie stood on the porch in silence for a number of minutes after the jeep had left from view, but Gracie broke it. "Let's go inside. I've got chili on the stove for dinner, but for now I think we need to just brew some tea for you and get you somewhere comfortable to relax. You've been through so much recently. I was so hoping today would be a fun day for you two, this was definitely not what I wanted to hear."

"I agree, Gracie. I'm ready for some better luck. But yes, some tea sounds wonderful.

With that, they went inside for the evening.


End file.
